Basio Lupus
by Lady Penguin
Summary: DISCONTINUED. In the midst of an Italian summer night, Kagome meets her first werewolf. Kouga/Kagome.


Basio Lupus

Chapter One

Rendezvous

The night Kagome met her first werewolf, she felt him first rather than saw him.

Nighttime in Florence, Italy was beautiful. Especially with clear skies, a warm atmosphere, and the comforting drawl of the city's sounds. If one listened closely, the language would buzz comfortably and laughter would be background music. Tonight, Kagome had chosen to sit at a café and do some research for her mythology paper there instead of being cramped inside of a library. Italian summer nights were too spectacular to miss.

However, as the hours passed, the air grew quiet with the occassional stirs. She had known that it was getting a little too late, and only the insomniacs and working girls were wandering around. But Kagome was determined to finish her paper in time.

_The tale of the werewolf originated in Germany, where a massive killing of the wolf also began. The existence of werewolves are still believed to this day, and several accounts have been made by people who have encountered them. Wolf by day, they can turn into a human by moonlight. _

Kagome rolled her eyes. _Werewolves_. She snorted, giggled softly, and leaned back on her chair to stretch out her limbs. If werewolves still existed today, something that her eccentric professor seemed to believe, then where the hell are they? Surely, they weren't in hiding—they simply had no need for it. Kagome closed her book and tapped her fingers together thoughtfully. If they were as powerful as the books predicted, then shouldn't they roam the world freely and do whatever the hell they wanted?

Well, if they do decide to roam, Kagome hoped they wouldn't roam here. She laughed at the thought of a big hairy man, complete with fangs and red eyes walking down the cafes of the city. The image didn't make sense—Florence was peaceful and quiet, romantic even.

The city was beautiful. Alive. Kagome had been hesitant at first about pursuing a major in history and mythology, but she made a daring leap and had loved it ever since. The decision was also followed by another daring decision: in order to fully understand other cultures, Kagome decided that she had to travel around the world. Somehow, she couldn't stand the thought of experiencing new cultures by sticking her nose behind books all the time.

But when she arrived in Florence, Kagome found that she couldn't leave. Something about the city beckoned her, drew her in. And even though the classes were a bit hard to believe (or more like impossible), Kagome loved learning about the beliefs and cultures of other countries. No matter how different it was from hers. A little chuckle escaped from her, the Japanese believed in worse things, so werewolf mythology wasn't _really_ a stretch.

Glancing at her topic, Kagome flipped through the pages until finally she saw "Mating." Her professor sure knew how to pick a research topic. She did wonder how the werewolf mating system worked, and since they assumed both the form of a human and a wolf, she wondered if they hetero-species when it came to sex. The image of a savage being, not quite looking like beast nor man, stealing into her bedroom and…

Kagome shook her head, cleared her throat, and directed her attention to the passage. "_Like wolves that humans know about today, they mark what is theirs. Including their mate. Wolves usually take one mate for life, and usually never mate again should a mate dies. Werewolves generally follow the same principle, but can have a multiple of sex partners before they finally find a mate._

Kagome scoffed. So... they mated for life, but were players before settling down. Sort of like men, Kagome thought to herself in amusement.

The next passage, however, made a chill run down her spine.

_"On a hunt, werewolves usually prowl for beautiful beings. The kiss of a werewolf is known to be able to steal your soul, and steal your breath away. If they decide to make you one of their 'servants', a werewolf will take you back to his or her den, where you won't be accepted by the pack because of the unfamiliarity. You will become nothing but sex slave for the wolf, and usually it is the alpha male or female who gets the prize of a slave._

Kagome shivered. That was a bit harsh, wasn't it? Being used and thrown away like that? How would the women live, how _could_ they? Kagome sighed and lightly tapped her fingers against the side of her head; it wasn't as if they existed, Kagome reminded herself.

Kagome had spent years reading mythology and researching them, and she'd always been able to hold on to the belief that none of them were real. The myths she had read about and researched on for hours and hours had stories elaborately woven, there were accounts made by real people, and after years of studying them she remembered them as if they were real memories. _But they aren't_, she firmly reminded herself that each and every single day.

Maybe she was just reading too much into things, Kagome decided. Werewolves just didn't exist. In the moment of her decision, peals of laughter erupted into the still night air. Accustomed to such noise, Kagome went about her work. After several moments, she felt uneasy and wondered why it had gotten so hot all of a sudden. Other than the rise in temperature, something was definitely different. She suddenly felt more than a little hot, she felt the urge to turn around with a stinging sense of curiosity.

Upon doing so, she saw a tall man casually walking towards the cafe. From where she was sitting Kagome could tell that he had long, sleek raven hair. His walk was casual, rippling with grace and prowess. Kagome had no doubt that beneath his exquisitely tailored suit, the man had a powerful body. So that was where the giggles were coming from. Kagome rolled her eyes slightly, breaking from the spell that the handsome stranger seemed to put on her—and every other woman on the street, it seemed.

Shaking her head to rid herself of the curiosity to look at him again, Kagome returned her attention to her book. But she couldn't help but notice that he had arrived at her café and sat at a nearby table.

Kagome secretly watched him as he flirted with the waitress shamelessly, watched her blush and fumble for a pen and a pad of paper. After the waitress left, the man leaned back in his chair comfortably and raked long, tapered fingers through his hair. Then, he looked straight at Kagome. Blushing in embarrassment, Kagome buried her nose into the book and pretended to be thoroughly engrossed in it. Which was a complete lie because for a moment there, she had simply forgotten what the hell the book was about.

The effect he had on her was astonishing, and she'd never felt attraction this way before. There was something about him, an aura of grace and power that she couldn't resist. She felt so attracted to him that it was overwhelming.

* * *

Kouga watched the girl with amusement. Interesting book she was reading, he noted. _W_ere_wolves._ He almost wanted to laugh. Almost all the books were wrong, and even if the humans did have an inkling as to what werewolves were all about, they usually exaggerated everything. Werewolves were the big bad guys, pillaging your villages, stealing the women, and they were infamous for being abnormally strong. Kouga grinned slightly—well, two out of three wasn't really all that inaccurate.

She had blushed deeply and looked away in embarrassment when he looked at her. It was cute and it certainly wasn't unusual. Women practically bent over backwards (something he didn't mind at all) themselves just to please him. Most of the time, while hunting, one or two would willingly follow him. It was convenient and quick, and tonight would be no different. As the alpha male of his pack Kouga had to resort to the nighttime for hunting. Preferring his wolf form rather than his human form, Kouga didn't mind one bit. He liked roaming the woods and feeling the soft soil underneath his paws during the day, when the sun was warmest. Day after day, year after year, Kouga found that he no longer looked forward to nighttime.

He found that beautiful women were getting to be a little dull. They had common features—big breasts, eyes and hair. He didn't mind it and it was simply for the thrill of the hunt, but now the thrill was no longer there. Needless to say, he needed something that was a little more difficult to catch, but that in it itself posed several problems to his hunting. He always wondered what daytime as a human was like, whether or not the women changed. But he couldn't risk hunting for himself during the daytime. His pack needed food, and Kouga could not risk any member of the pack to hunt. Most were too young. Or too old. The elders as well as the young depended on him for food.

They especially needed him now that the cubs were disappearing mysteriously. Kouga growled softly at the reminder. Rumors were beginning to spread among the pack that he wasn't a capable leader, and he couldn't blame them. He couldn't do a damn thing about it, either. There were many a night where he had gone without replenishing himself, trying to protect the cubs. It seemed to work, if only for awhile. Pretty soon, disappearances were happening again, and Kouga had no way of stopping it.

Decades ago, Kouga would've never thought of hunting without his pack. But the humans were growing more powerful and crueler by the day, and he just couldn't risk anymore wolves. Kouga was one of the very few that was young, powerful, and equipped with killer instincts. Those traits automatically placed him in charge, and before he knew it, Kouga was the Alpha male. After hunting for the pack, he was usually famished and drank from the first woman he saw. Without his wolf form, Kouga denied himself of meat. He just couldn't bring himself to indulge in human flesh.

The women he usually found were voluptuous, curvy, and more than willing to please him. Kouga soon found that an easy meal soon grew boring. Sometimes, he would take two or more, and that seemed to satisfy his appetite. He grew bored of that as well. When he went to ask the elders why he didn't seem to want to hunt anymore, the elders told him that he needed a mate soon, an alpha female. Kouga scoffed. He didn't need anyone. He never did. As a witness to his parents' murder, Kouga had sworn never to get close to anyone. His parents had been betrayed by a close friend, one that had managed to escape and live while his parents were left to die. Kouga quickly directed his attention back to reality—thinking about such things ruined his appetite.

The girl sitting in the far table was getting uneasy now, Kouga noted. He grinned. How very cute. She wasn't very beautiful—at least, not by society's standards, but she was certainly pretty. Instead of being curvy and endowed with heavy assests, the girl was petite. Her face, which he had caught a quick glimpse of before she had buried it in her book, was interesting to look at. With soft features and cupid's lips, the girl possessed an innocent and clean aura about her. Kouga ran his tongue along his canines. Judging by the scent that was carried to him by the night breeze, the girl had never been with a man before. It was too light, too clean and sweet-smelling. Kouga smiled slowly.

Well, all that would have to change, wouldn't it?

* * *

Kagome found herself struggling for air as the strange man grinned at her. Somehow, breathing just got a bit more difficult. She mentally wanted to kick herself in the ass for being such an idiot. She was never one to swoon for some gorgeous stranger in the milddle of the night. Not that meeting gorgeous strangers who won't stop staring at you ever happened, anyway. Kagome took in a deep breath and read the next sentence on werewolf mating: _"The wolf will then bite the female's--"_ Kagome blushed and closed her book quickly. Too much information could be a bad thing, she decided. Especially when it came along with bad timing. Unable to control herself, she glanced quickly over to the man.

--But he wasn't there.

"Bella…" A voice purred into her ear.

Kagome froze, dropping her book with a soundly thud to the floor. How did he move so fast? She had barely taken her eyes off of him, and he was already standing next to her. Chuckling, the man leaned down and picked the book from the floor. " Lei fa cadere il libro?"

"Er-- thank you," Kagome nearly squeaked.

"Lei sono solo?"

Kagome looked around to see if anybody was staring at them. And there was. All the women suddenly looked at her as if she had destroyed the world. She looked back at the man. He remained kneeling next to her, his powerful body effectively blocking her escape. Kouga watched in amusement as she squirmed and nibbled her lower lip.

She could either say that she was alone and something bad might happen, even though every pore inside of her _wanted_ it to very badly, or she could lie and go back home to her boring life. "Uhm, actually, no I'm not alone. I'm waiting for a friend."

Kouga grinned.

She was lying, but he didn't care. Even if a friend was coming, he had chosen. He wanted her tonight and he would have her. A soft breeze blew, and he watched as it played with the wispy strands of her hair. The way she was nibbling on her lip was getting to be a little frustrating, Kouga decided. Soon, it will be he who would nibble those pair of lips. It would be dawn soon, and he had to have her _now._

"È venito con me," he said, extending a hand towards her.

"Uhm... no, I don't think so, buddy," Kagome told him firmly. It was amazing how forward he could be, and the surprised look on his face told her that he must have never heard the word 'no' before.

Kouga laughed.

Leaning into her, Kouga tipped her chin upward with two gentle fingers and forced her to stare directly into his eyes. "Adesso."

Kagome gasped, unable to look away. His eyes were deep swirls of pale blue. The low, demanding tone of his voice vibrated within her. Something, in the far outreaches of her mind, Kagome fleetingly thought about wolves and how they showed their dominance by directly staring into another's eyes. His eyes reminded her of something feral, and found that she couldn't resist. Before she had a chance to think, a chance to breathe, all she could think about was coming with him like he wanted.

Putting her small hand in the stranger's, she let him lead her away. Then, it was all a blur. She had the vague sense that they were going somewhere among the outskirts of the city and that they were moving too fast. It was just a whirl of colors and senses. Kagome remembered smelling something purely masculine, being pressed against a warm body as they moved through the city. She remembered trying to clear her head, trying to remember where she was and what she was doing.

Kagome found that she could not break the spell.

She vaguely noted a stone house, a quaint and charming one. Inside, it smelt like sandalwood mixed together in the fresh scent of the night air, which amazed Kagome. She didn't know that night had a distinct scent. Before she could collect herself, Kagome's senses were completely assaulted as a warm pair of lips were crushed to hers and a strong body pressing her to a wall.

"Perfetto," came a low growl. Kagome moaned.

It was inexplicable. It was just sensations. Hot and feverish. His warm hands settled upon her hips and lifted her against him, and Kagome felt for the first time, a man's desire. Gasping into his mouth, Kagome provided entrance for his tongue as he tortured her slowly, luxuriously. But it frustrated the hell out of her. Bunching his hair in her hands, Kagome undid the clasp that held his sleek mane together, and watched in a dazed fascination as the raven strands fell loose. He groaned and pressed himself hard against her. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and let out a soft groan.

"Shhh, mio caro," he purred, caressing her back.

Lifting her effortlessly, he carried her towards a room. Kagome buried her nose into his neck and bit back a sob; the overwhelming onslaught of emotions was unbearable. He smelt faintly of fresh rain, and sunshine. And he felt so damn good.

But..what... what was she _doing_?

Kagome groaned and lifted a hand to her throbbing head. His command was still sharp in her mind, and Kagome admitted that this was exciting her more than it frightened her. She closed her eyes and tried to think. This was all wrong, she scolded herself. _"You don't know this man. Tell him to stop and let you go._" But her body rebelled as he placed her gently on top of a massive, mahogany bed. Soon, his hands were everywhere, expertly tracing every curve. He liked her body; breasts that felt supple in his hands, a waist that was not too tiny, and shapely legs that weren't long, but looked enticing nonetheless.

Dawn was fast approaching, and Kouga could barely hold on to his control. Never had a woman excited him as she did. She looked up at him, her gray eyes dazed. For a moment, he felt as though he reocgnized her, but it was absurd. He'd never seen the girl before.

"Kagome," she suddenly whispered, "my--my name is Kagome."

He took her hands into his and kissed each knuckle gently. "Kouga." Kouga was stunned. Never had he freely given his name to a woman before, if ever. What amazed him the most was that she had broken his hold over her. But he wanted her so much. Covering her body with his, Kouga murmured, "rilassare."

"N-no."

Kouga kissed her shoulders, nibbling on the expanse of skin.

"No," she said, this time more firmly. "I--I don't know you. I don't want this."

Kouga looked at her strangely. Then, he sniffed her. She froze and watched him in horror as his nose touched the crook of her neck, and trailed down to the opening of her shirt. Deftly, he removed several buttons, and he was soon buried between her chest. Kagome gasped, "What are you doing?"

"Silenzio!" He commanded. This girl was different, he knew it. No woman had ever been able to break through his commands before. Clearly, she wasn't human.

"No, really," she said with a little push, "I have to be going. It's already morning, and I haven't slept..."

Kagome continued to babble on as Kouga sniffed her. Finally, he stopped and lifted his head to meet her horrified gaze.

"... It's morning?"

Kagome blinked. "You... can speak Japanese?"

He scowled. "Look at me. Tell me what you see." Kouga looked at her anxiously. It was morning, and he should've transformed back into his wolf form by now. Cursing underneath his breath, Kouga berated himself for not keeping track of time more carefully. He'd never been so needy before, so completely thrilled by a woman before. She was no ordinary woman, Kouga corrected himself, something was wrong. This woman--or Kagome, simply stared at him in confusion.

"Kagome," he growled, "tell me what you see."

Kagome blushed. _Tall, dark handsome guy_? "A.. man?"

Kouga swore viciously underneath his breath. Kagome flinched at his sudden behavior and said, "Please let me go. This has clearly been a mistake." And it was. She had no idea how she got here besides vague, swirling emotions. The sudden realization that she was in bed with a stranger made a chill run down her spine. What was she doing? Where was she? Who was he? Kouga... was that what he had said his name was? Putting a hand on his shoulder, Kagome cleared her throat.

"Kouga?"

Kouga immediately removed himself from her and started to pace the room. Then, he looked at her. "You're human... correct?"

Kagome looked at him incredulously.

"You are human, correct?" He repeated.

She nodded slowly and said, "... Erm, yes... Just like you..."

Kouga snorted and grinned, flashing his fangs. "That's where you're wrong."

Kagome laughed nervously. Just great! Not only was she trapped in God knows where with a stranger, she just happened to be trapped with a deranged stranger. Who just happened to kiss really, really well. Kagome cleared her throat.

"Uhm. Ha. That's very nice, _Kouga_, but may I... err, may I leave?" She asked, slowly getting to her feet. Did the room have to spin like that?

"No." Kouga quickly moved to the doorway.

Okay, now was the time to panic. Cautiously distancing herself from him, Kagome scanned the room for an easy weapon.

"Please don't leave, Kagome." He wanted to find out what she was and what she had done to him; he shouldn't have stayed in human form past dawn.

She looked at him helplessly. "I--I can't. Can't you see this is wrong?"

Kouga remained silent. If he kept her here, it would be futile to try and get any information out of her. She was on the brink of hysteria. If he let her leave, Kouga decided that he could always follow her and keep a careful eye on the girl. "Very well, you're free to leave."

Kagome blinked in surprise. Wow, that was easy. "Really?"

Kouga nodded.

Kagome nibbled her lower lip and smiled sheepishly. "Um. Where am I?"

"There should be a bus station a few blocks down," he told her. Then, with a boyish grin he said, "don't believe everything your book tells you."

Kagome nodded briskly and left as quickly as possible. Kouga doubted that she even heard him.

* * *

It wasn't hard to track her.

Her scent was imprinted in his mind. Kouga watched her from a distance as she dazedly stepped onto the bus that would take her back to the center of Florence. He noticed that the sun was especially warm today, the air was humid and an uncomfortable moisture hung in the air. It felt weird to be human during the day. Foreign. Probably because it had never happened before, and Kouga had thought it impossible. He'd have to ask the elders and hope that they don't shun him from the pack. Whatever the girl did to him, perhaps she could reverse it.

Pulling the hat low over his eyes, Kouga stepped on to the bus as well, and made sure to sit as far away from Kagome as possible. Kouga closed his eyes. The girl was something else; something he'd never experience before. She had been able to break his hold on her, and come to her senses.

That didn't mean that she wasn't willing before, Kouga thought to himself indignantly. He'd never been spurned before by a woman before, and they had always accepted his dominance. Kagome had a will he'd never seen before. But she could be dangerous as well, he realized. He remembered the book she was reading. No doubt it was probably for research and pure coincidence, but Kouga shivered at the irony of the situation. She didn't know that he was a werewolf. Kagome merely thought that he was something different. Maybe she just thought he was crazy.

The bus stopped and he waited until she climbed out first, then trailed behind. When she rounded a corner, Kouga used his strong legs to leap onto a roof. It was part of the immortal, werewolf deal. Kouga smirked. Crouching down very low, he followed her every step.

"Very nice, you've become a stalker," he muttered to himself. He watched as Kagome enter the same cafe as last night, and talk to a waitress there. A quick exchange was made, and the waitress walked back inside.

He saw how she forced a cheerful smile as the waitress came back out and handed her a book. It was the book that she had left behind when Kouga commanded that she came with him. Kouga smiled. Poor girl.

If she wanted to know more about werewolves, Kouga thought to himself in amusement, he'd be more than willing to teach her.

* * *

Kagome thanked the waitress and quickly walked away. Feeling exhausted and utterly confused, she proceeded in the direction of her house. Classes started in the afternoons until evening, but Kagome was too tired. She toyed with the idea of just staying at home and skipping school for the day. It didn't sound too half bad, and it was purely justified. That encounter had nearly sapped all the energy from her, and the strange excitement that she still felt was all that kept her from collapsing right there and then.

Kouga... who was he?

He had implied to her that he wasn't human, and Kagome wasn't sure if it was a lie anymore. There was something in the way he walked that didn't seem unlike that of a predator, and his strange eyes were exotically blue. Kagome was pretty sure that he was Japanese, but perhaps one of his parents had been European or a Westerner. Kagome nodded—that had to be it. Starting from this point on, she would forget that it had ever happened.

But the thought of what just happened wouldn't go away. Clutching the _"Werewolves_" book to her chest, Kagome rubbed her temples with one hand. What was she thinking, going with a stranger like that? She was raised better than that.

There was something irresistible about him that made it feel alright. Made it compelling. Kagome shook her head. It was almost as if it was going with him was the most important thing. His command was sharp and urgent, and Kagome noted that he had a killer baritone. She had almost let him do anything to her, anything at all, and she would've succumbed. And maybe enjoyed it too… Kagome blushed deeply.

Such a man surely had dozens of women, Kagome thought to herself. She herself was very plain and led a boring life; he was sure to leave her alone. Perhaps he was just lonely last night, she thought. Besides, that was a one-time experience, and perhaps she was glad for it. Hell, she'd gone through twenty-four years of her life without ever finding a first love. She had her family, and Kagome felt that that had been enough. And it was. Until she started to travel and could only send letters every once in awhile. Then Kagome soon found out what being lonely was like, and also found out that she didn't like it one bit.

With a little sigh, she unlocked the door to her house and pushed the door open. Before going inside, though, Kagome stopped abruptly. Was it just her... or was someone watching her? Feeling the hairs on her neck tingle, Kagome turned around cautiously and peered about. Nobody was there, save for a few children playing in the streets across from her house. She shook her head and muttered, "Kagome, forget it. Be glad that it's over, and just move on."

From a distance, however, Kouga leapt effortlessly from a tiled roof and grinned wolfishly.

* * *

Ending Note: If some of you find this story a little too familiar sounding, then you're absolutely right! This is an old story of mine that I deleted awhile ago, and I've decided to revive it. I've revamped it, edited it quite a bit, and will continue it. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter and that you'll review if you did. 


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